Washington County fire agencies face a direct stake in wildfire funding decisions heading to Oregon lawmakers this week, as the state's worst fire season on record strains the system that reimburses local departments for mutual-aid deployments.
The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is asking the legislative Emergency Board for about $78 million from two General Fund allocations, according to ODF's presentation to the board. ODF's Forest Grove District covers Bethany, Cedar Mill, Oak Hills and West Haven-Sylvan.
The Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is separately requesting $15 million to cover its mobilization costs.
The Legislature's budget office is recommending an additional $30 million on top of ODF's request, given the severity of the season, OPB reported.
The Emergency Board hearings run Tuesday, Sept. 8, through Thursday, Sept. 10, in Salem.
More than 2.5 million acres have burned across Oregon in more than 1,700 fires as of Aug. 20, according to ODF. That shatters the previous record of about 1.9 million acres in 2024. Total costs are running about $30.2 million higher than the same point in 2024 as of Aug. 20, and ODF estimates the final tab could reach $350 million.
The season started early with dry conditions in March and April, then exploded when lightning storms hit in mid-July, according to ODF's presentation. Gov. Tina Kotek declared a state of emergency for wildfires on June 16, directing state agencies and the National Guard to coordinate response, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
ODF is also seeking permission to borrow $150 million from the Oregon State Treasury over September, October and November under House Bill 3940, a 2025 law that lets the agency borrow to stay solvent while waiting for federal reimbursements, KGW reported.
Those reimbursements can take a while. FEMA repayment timelines range from 12 to 30 months, and the State Fire Marshal's office has $25.6 million in pending FEMA reimbursements from the 2023 through 2025 fire seasons, according to the OSFM's presentation.
The delay matters locally. Under the Emergency Conflagration Act, when the governor invokes the act for a major fire, local fire agencies across Oregon are mobilized to help. The state is required to reimburse those agencies within 90 days. As of Aug. 17, the State Fire Marshal's office had mobilized for 12 conflagration fires in 2026, with projected gross costs of $50.3 million, according to the OSFM presentation signed by State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple.
In late July, when the act was invoked for the ninth and tenth times in 2026, Ruiz-Temple described conditions as dire. "The last two and half weeks have been extremely challenging for our firefighters and support staff," she said on July 26.
The season is not over.
Angie Lane, a spokesperson for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, warned that east wind events typical in September and October could still drive major fire activity. The State Fire Marshal's office expects the season to continue for at least six more weeks.
In 2024, Oregon let wildfire bills go unpaid for months, forcing the Legislature into a special session to approve extra funding, OPB reported. The Emergency Board hearings this week are aimed at avoiding a repeat.
Residents can sign up for Washington County emergency alerts at publicalerts.org and report fires by calling 911.
